Official top 50 Van Halen songs thread!! (Countdown has begun!!)

[HOF]

Where is the site for fans of the Cherone era?

Right here.

I knew I was headed for a heartbreak even before I clicked on that.

There’s only seventeen fans in the club.

[wolfking]

Listening to Fair Warning now.  Some cool stuff on this one.  Push Comes to Shove is class.

[TAC]

Listening to Fair Warning now.  Some cool stuff on this one.  Push Comes to Shove is class.

I believe it was inevitable.

[KevShmev]

Listening to Fair Warning now.  Some cool stuff on this one.  Push Comes to Shove is class.

The first songs are where it's at, but Push Comes to Shove is nice as well.

[KevShmev]

Six lists so far!  Still three weeks to enter one!

20 total is my best case scenario hope, but hoping we at least get to 15.  Come on, VH fans who have not participated yet, do not make me bug you via PM about this.  

[The Realm]

I am definitely submitting a list, still trying to finalise it. Actually finding top 50 hard, going to have to leave out a few songs I'd love to include...

[wolfking]

I won't be submitting until the 30th of April.

[Stadler]

Listening to Fair Warning now.  Some cool stuff on this one.  Push Comes to Shove is class.

Arguably my favorite VH album.

[Stadler]

Everyone can do their top 50 however they like, but I feel it's a bit weak to at least not give all or most of the catalogue a listen before doing it for this exercise rather than ignoring a big chunk of it. But that's just me.  Again though, your favorites are your favorites.

I with you guys on A Different Kind of Truth. While the mix is a little hot, the songs are mostly there.  I do think Tattoo is mostly blah, although there are a few good moments, but the back half of it is crazy good.  The four-song run of The Trouble with Never through Big River is awesome.

I might not be in until just before the wire, but I'm definitely submitting a list.   I've been trying to listen through again before commenting (there were too many songs on the Rush list that I wish I had listened to before ranking).  I'm through the Cherone album (my god) and have listened to the "extras" (Crossing Over, Humans Being, the two Dave songs from the Greatest Hits).  I just have the three new Sammy songs from BOBW, and ADKOT.   

You can count me in, it's a given, I am going on vacation next week and may not be able to do the Ranker until I return (though I will TRY to do it before I go).

[Stadler]

Listening to Fair Warning now.  Some cool stuff on this one.  Push Comes to Shove is class.

I believe it was inevitable.

I just got that.  Nicely done.

I like the song, but it was never the "go-to" song on the record. Great lyric, though. 

[hefdaddy42]

I didn't include any songs from III or ADKOT on my list.  I didn't like either album.

I'm glad that so many of you guys liked ADKOT, but it just did nothing for me.  It felt a little pathetic to me.  I admit to being predisposed against it, with the return of DLR and the absence of Michael Anthony, but I just don't care for it.

[Trav86]

I didn't include any songs from III or ADKOT on my list.  I didn't like either album.

I'm glad that so many of you guys liked ADKOT, but it just did nothing for me.  It felt a little pathetic to me.  I admit to being predisposed against it, with the return of DLR and the absence of Michael Anthony, but I just don't care for it.

Nothing from ADKOT made my list either. I was excited for it when it came out, even though the lack of Mike was really sad. Musically it’s…okay. Dave’s voice isn’t great and I’ll never understand why Ed liked that ridiculously high gain, buzzsaw sounding guitar tone.

While the three new Sammy songs they did in 2004 weren’t amazing, I would have preferred a full album from them in that vein than ADKOT. But that’s me.

[Stadler]

Controversial statement:  As compared to Balance and III, if we didn't know that Mike wasn't on ADKOT we would never know Mike wasn't on ADKOT.  I actually just listened to the first 11 (out of 13) songs in the car and it holds up.  It's almost like a "Van Halen Career Pastiche".  I can't imagine they DID know this (back in 2012) but that's an album that is sort of a career summation. There's something on there that evokes just about every period of the bands career, IMO.   And in solid fashion. 

[TAC]

Kev, is it ok to post my Album Distribution stats for my list?

[DragonAttack]

Kev, is it ok to post my Album Distribution stats for my list?

Yeah, but April Fools Day was eons ago 😉  (just kidding!)

[Trav86]

Controversial statement:  As compared to Balance and III, if we didn't know that Mike wasn't on ADKOT we would never know Mike wasn't on ADKOT.  I actually just listened to the first 11 (out of 13) songs in the car and it holds up.  It's almost like a "Van Halen Career Pastiche".  I can't imagine they DID know this (back in 2012) but that's an album that is sort of a career summation. There's something on there that evokes just about every period of the bands career, IMO.   And in solid fashion.

I find it hard to believe that anyone who has any familiarity with the VH catalog wouldn’t notice the lack Mike’s background vocals on ADKOT.

[WilliamMunny]

Controversial statement:  As compared to Balance and III, if we didn't know that Mike wasn't on ADKOT we would never know Mike wasn't on ADKOT.  I actually just listened to the first 11 (out of 13) songs in the car and it holds up.  It's almost like a "Van Halen Career Pastiche".  I can't imagine they DID know this (back in 2012) but that's an album that is sort of a career summation. There's something on there that evokes just about every period of the bands career, IMO.   And in solid fashion.

I am normally so with you on this topic, but this one point where we diverge. I doubt that I need to tell anyone the value Michael Anthony brought to the table...especially in the vocal department. MA flatout carried the choruses on those early records and man, oh man could he harmonize with Hagar.

While I LOVE ADKOT, there is absolutely no mistaking the fact that Anthony is not there. I think the part that makes it palpable for me is that Wolfie does a bang-up job in both the bass and vocals department.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: it sucks Anthony wasn't involved, but without Wolfie, ADKOT never gets made. So, given the choice, I'll always take the option that leads to more music. Is it the line-up everyone wanted? No. But, in and of itself, the final version of the band had something to offer.

On a side-note: as a father of two, I can honestly say that playing music with my kids is the dream. Thusfar it has yet to happen, but if the stars were to someday align, I'd probably stop at nothing to have a chance to jam with either of my kids. In that regard, I'll always have a soft spot for ADKOT, because I feel like you can literally hear the joy in Eddie's playing.

[KevShmev]

Kev, is it ok to post my Album Distribution stats for my list?

Sure. 

[TAC]

Controversial statement:  As compared to Balance and III, if we didn't know that Mike wasn't on ADKOT we would never know Mike wasn't on ADKOT.  I actually just listened to the first 11 (out of 13) songs in the car and it holds up.  It's almost like a "Van Halen Career Pastiche".  I can't imagine they DID know this (back in 2012) but that's an album that is sort of a career summation. There's something on there that evokes just about every period of the bands career, IMO.   And in solid fashion.

I am normally so with you on this topic, but this one point where we diverge. I doubt that I need to tell anyone the value Michael Anthony brought to the table...especially in the vocal department. MA flatout carried the choruses on those early records and man, oh man could he harmonize with Hagar.

While I LOVE ADKOT, there is absolutely no mistaking the fact that Anthony is not there. I think the part that makes it palpable for me is that Wolfie does a bang-up job in both the bass and vocals department.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: it sucks Anthony wasn't involved, but without Wolfie, ADKOT never gets made. So, given the choice, I'll always take the option that leads to more music. Is it the line-up everyone wanted? No. But, in and of itself, the final version of the band had something to offer.

On a side-note: as a father of two, I can honestly say that playing music with my kids is the dream. Thusfar it has yet to happen, but if the stars were to someday align, I'd probably stop at nothing to have a chance to jam with either of my kids. In that regard, I'll always have a soft spot for ADKOT, because I feel like you can literally hear the joy in Eddie's playing.

I agree with the bolded. ADKOT had no business being as good as it is. I don't love the whole thing, but Dave sounds great, as does Alex. But Eddie crushes it. There's real inspiration on that album.

[KevShmev]

I would say Dave sounds "good enough" on A Different Kind of Truth, almost like they needed dozens of takes of each song to get ones just good enough to put on the record. The rest of the band is on fire.

[TAC]

I would say Dave sounds "good enough" on A Different Kind of Truth, almost like they needed dozens of takes of each song to get ones just good enough to put on the record. The rest of the band is on fire.

So be it. Maybe the producer pulled the performance out of him. I must've had low expectations, in fact I know I had low expectations.

[TAC]

Here's my Top 50 By Album distribution:

VH....8
VHII....7
Women And Children First....6
Fair Warning....5
Diver Down....3
1984....6
   
5150....4
OU812....1
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge....4
Balance....3
   
VHIII....0   
   
A Different Kind Of Truth....3

[Dream Team]

Here's my Top 50 By Album distribution:

VH....8
VHII....7
Women And Children First....6
Fair Warning....5
Diver Down....3
1984....6
   
5150....4
OU812....1
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge....4
Balance....3
   
VHIII....0   
   
A Different Kind Of Truth....3

Definite proof of sound musical taste.

[wolfking]

The Cherone album that bad?    kind of looking forward to listening to it now.

[Deadeye21]

I don’t think id ever listened to For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge before. Did tonight and I have to say I think it might be the best Hagar album, and in my top 5 albums overall. There’s a few that are gonna be on this list, for sure.

WHY HAVE I NOT LISTENED TO THIS BEFORE!?

[Stadler]

The Cherone album that bad?    kind of looking forward to listening to it now.

Yes, yes it is.  And I'm a Cherone fan; I have almost a complete Extreme catalogue and even a couple of his Tribe of Judah records.   It's that bad.

[hefdaddy42]

The Cherone album that bad?    kind of looking forward to listening to it now.

If you're expecting a VH album?  Yeah.

[Stadler]

Controversial statement:  As compared to Balance and III, if we didn't know that Mike wasn't on ADKOT we would never know Mike wasn't on ADKOT.  I actually just listened to the first 11 (out of 13) songs in the car and it holds up.  It's almost like a "Van Halen Career Pastiche".  I can't imagine they DID know this (back in 2012) but that's an album that is sort of a career summation. There's something on there that evokes just about every period of the bands career, IMO.   And in solid fashion.

I find it hard to believe that anyone who has any familiarity with the VH catalog wouldn’t notice the lack Mike’s background vocals on ADKOT.

I lived and breathed those first six for YEARS.  My number one song (I just know it) has PROMINENT Michael Anthony vocals.   I'm not knocking him, I'm not belittling him, and I think he's gotten the short end of the stick in terms of his bass playing (there's some tasty stuff on the Roth era albums, and I saw him in a small club with Chickenfoot and he was a beast).   I think some of the stuff about how "poorly" he was treated is hyperbolic, though, and I don't think ADKOT suffers for not having him on there.   I'm with WilliamMunny on this with respect to the notion of playing with your son/nephew.   I MIGHT think different if it was someone different, but it's his SON, who he has written songs for (316) and has/had tattooed on his arm. I saw them live and they - he (Wolfie) - delivered.  Add to it that that album doesn't get done without him and I think the notion that "Mike should have been there" is a red herring.

And I'm standing by my statement: there are a couple songs on there that if you didn't know, you wouldn't know.  CERTAINLY as compared to VHIII and Balance, where Michael isn't as prominent as he was on the early albums. 

I agree with the bolded. ADKOT had no business being as good as it is. I don't love the whole thing, but Dave sounds great, as does Alex. But Eddie crushes it. There's real inspiration on that album.

Agreed

[hefdaddy42]

I think some of the stuff about how "poorly" he was treated is hyperbolic

HARD disagree. 

I'm with WilliamMunny on this with respect to the notion of playing with your son/nephew.   I MIGHT think different if it was someone different, but it's his SON, who he has written songs for (316) and has/had tattooed on his arm. 

Fuck that, too.  He could have made music with his son on the side at any time without kicking Michael Anthony out of Van Halen.  It's not like he was too busy making VH albums to work on a side project with Wolfie.

[King Postwhore]

I think some of the stuff about how "poorly" he was treated is hyperbolic

HARD disagree. 

I'm with WilliamMunny on this with respect to the notion of playing with your son/nephew.   I MIGHT think different if it was someone different, but it's his SON, who he has written songs for (316) and has/had tattooed on his arm. 

Fuck that, too.  He could have made music with his son on the side at any time without kicking Michael Anthony out of Van Halen.  It's not like he was too busy making VH albums to work on a side project with Wolfie.

Michael was treated extremely poorly.  Many times Eddie threatened to kick him out of the band and when Al had money issues, They voted to give Michael less to give Alex more money. Sammy voted no, and even Michael voted yes to take less.  It was like Stockholm syndrome.

[Deadeye21]

I know I’m gonna have at least two ADKOT tracks on my top 50 list. I feel like one will be agreed upon, but I don’t know how people would go with the other that’s definitely going in there.

[Deadeye21]

And my list has gone in. For anyone interested, here’s the album count.

VH - 9
VHII - 8
WACF -  5
FW - 4
DD - 3
1984 - 5
5150 - 2
OU812 - 3
FUCK - 5
Balance - 2
VHIII - Hahahahaha, no 
ADKOT - 3
   
Weird to me that it has fallen this way, as the count doesn’t fall in line with what I would’ve thought to be my favourite albums overall.
Forgive the language in the Hagar era, but it wasn’t me that named the album by this name just to get that acronym in there.

[Stadler]

I think some of the stuff about how "poorly" he was treated is hyperbolic

HARD disagree. 

I'm with WilliamMunny on this with respect to the notion of playing with your son/nephew.   I MIGHT think different if it was someone different, but it's his SON, who he has written songs for (316) and has/had tattooed on his arm. 

Fuck that, too.  He could have made music with his son on the side at any time without kicking Michael Anthony out of Van Halen.  It's not like he was too busy making VH albums to work on a side project with Wolfie.

Michael was treated extremely poorly.  Many times Eddie threatened to kick him out of the band and when Al had money issues, They voted to give Michael less to give Alex more money. Sammy voted no, and even Michael voted yes to take less.  It was like Stockholm syndrome.

I'm used to being on the wrong side of this argument across the board, but I'm a free will kind of guy.  I'm Team Black Sabbath against Bill Ward, too. There's been no assertion that Mike was under the influence, under duress, or incapacitated in any way when he signed those agreements.  He agreed to it.  The ONLY thing I don't have an answer for is the removal of his image from the album covers, and I think that was only a temporary thing (someone apparently got smart).   There's no call for that.  But everything else... if I was in the band, I would have voted like Sammy, no, but if I lost the vote, I lost the vote.  It by definition turned out the way it's supposed to go.

[hefdaddy42]

He wouldn't have signed it unless he was under duress, or if the alternative is nothing at all.  Who does that of their own free will?

Eddie strongarmed him out.

[King Postwhore]

It all started earlier Stads.  Their manager's book, he wrote about Roth giving the business to Anthony and the 2 brothers fell in line..  During the 1984 tour, he was essentially a sideman. The way he was paid.  Seems he could never stand up for himself.